RED-FACED officials had to make a public apology when a burial was delayed because the grave was too small.

Mourners at the interment were temporarily sent away after it was discovered the grave sloped inward and the coffin would not fit. As owners of Bishop's Stortford Cemetery, the town council has apologised for any distress caused at the incident on Thursday, June 17.

Mayor Allen Burlton, said: "We made a mistake and we have to apologise for it. The hole was the right size at the top but it sloped inward a bit.

"The funeral director thought the grave was not quite right and he got the family to look at the flowers for a few minutes while it was dug out. This is the first time we have known this to happen."

The town council made a public apology in a local newspaper and waived the fee for the burial. The graves are dug by small JCBs but there was a human error in measuring the plot.

Mr Burlton added: "If this happened a lot we would obviously look at our procedure, but this is a once in a lifetime mistake for which we have apologised."

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